It is generally known for an aircraft to have a wing capable of being operated or oriented in two modes. Such an arrangement permits the wing to be suitably arranged for two modes of an aircraft's operation. When an aircraft is to be stowed for delivery, for example, it is generally desirable for the wing to be fixed in an orientation that is parallel to the orientation of the aircraft's fuselage. When an aircraft is to be flown at relatively high airspeed, it is generally desirable for the wing to be fixed in an orientation that is perpendicular to the direction of flight. When maneuverability at low airspeed or loitering around a fixed location is desired, a rotating wing configuration is generally preferable over a fixed-wing configuration.
In the field of air-launched vehicles for payload deployment, for example, an air-launched flying vehicle having a dual-mode wing is known. This vehicle is designed to be delivered into flight by a host aircraft and then released. The wing of this flying vehicle is oriented parallel to the orientation of its fuselage during delivery, and oriented perpendicular to its fuselage after the vehicle has been released. However, this vehicle lacks provisions for rotating-winged flight. An example, a flying vehicle for payload deployment is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,218, issued to Groutage et al. on Jun. 27, 1989.
In the field of rotary wing craft, aircraft have been long known that operate in both fixed-wing flight and rotary-wing flight. However, such aircraft lack provisions for orienting the wing parallel to the orientation of the aircraft's fuselage. An example of a flying vehicle for conversion from fixed-wing flight to rotating-wing flight (and vice versa) while in the air is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,518,007, issued to Herrick on Aug. 8, 1950. The vehicle is disclosed as including a convertible wing that could be auto driven by the air or driven from a suitable engine. Herrick, col. 4, lines 65-67.